Method to reduce ghg emissions of fuel production

Abstract

The present invention provides a method comprising carrying out an anaerobic digestion that produces biomethane and biogenic carbon dioxide and supplying the biogenic carbon dioxide for use in one or more enhanced oil or gas recovery operations. The biogenic carbon dioxide supplied to the one or more enhanced oil or gas recovery operations displaces the use of geologic carbon dioxide. Further provided is a method to reduce the life cycle GHG emissions associated with the production of a liquid fuel or fuel intermediate in a fuel production facility by providing such biomethane for use in the fuel production facility or associated utilities to supply energy. The present invention also relates to a method for receiving carbon dioxide at an enhanced oil or gas recovery site that has the GHG emission attributes of the biogenic carbon dioxide and using the received carbon dioxide to displace geologic carbon dioxide.

1 . A method for reducing life cycle GHG emissions associated with production of biomethane, said method comprising:
 (i) anaerobically digesting organic material to produce biogas comprising biomethane and biogenic carbon dioxide;   (ii) separating the biomethane and biogenic carbon dioxide;   (iii) collecting an amount of the biogenic carbon dioxide generated from the step of separating; and   (iv) supplying the biogenic carbon dioxide from step (iii) for use in one or more enhanced oil or gas recovery sites for displacement of geological carbon dioxide,   wherein the life cycle GHG emissions associated with the production or use of the biomethane are reduced by at least 1.5 g CO 2  eq/MJ relative to a biomethane production process baseline as a result of the displacement of geologic carbon dioxide.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the displacement results from taking out of use a first amount of geologic carbon dioxide at the one or more enhanced oil or gas recovery sites and supplying an amount of biogenic carbon dioxide at the one or more enhanced oil or gas recovery sites to substitute the first amount of geologic carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         3 . A method for reducing life cycle GHG emissions associated with production of biomethane, said method comprising:
 (i) anaerobically digesting organic material to produce biogas comprising biomethane and biogenic carbon dioxide;   (ii) separating the biomethane and biogenic carbon dioxide;   (iii) collecting an amount of the biogenic carbon dioxide generated from the step of separating; and   (iv) reducing the life cycle GHG emissions associated with the biomethane, said reducing being achieved at least in part by a displacement of geologic carbon dioxide with the biogenic carbon dioxide from step (iii), said displacement resulting from:
 (a) introducing the biogenic carbon dioxide into an apparatus for transporting carbon dioxide to one or more enhanced oil or gas recovery sites that used or are using geologic carbon dioxide; 
 (b) supplying the biogenic carbon dioxide for use in one or more enhanced oil or gas recovery sites that used or are using geologic carbon dioxide; or 
 (c) both (a) and (b), 
   wherein the life cycle GHG emissions associated with the production or use of the biomethane are reduced by at least about 1.5 g CO 2  eq/MJ as a result of the displacement of geologic carbon dioxide.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the life cycle GHG emissions associated with the production or use of the biomethane are reduced by between about 5 g CO 2  eq/MJ and about 35 g CO 2  eq/MJ relative to a biomethane production process baseline. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the life cycle GHG emissions associated with the production or use of the biomethane are reduced by between about 5 g CO 2  eq/MJ and about 35 g CO 2  eq/MJ relative to a biomethane production process baseline. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the life cycle GHG emissions associated with the production or use of the biomethane are reduced by between about 5 g CO 2  eq/MJ and about 35 g CO 2  eq/MJ relative to a biomethane production process baseline. 
     
     
         7 . A method to reduce the life cycle GHG emissions associated with production of a liquid fuel or fuel intermediate, said method comprising:
 (i) producing sugar from plant derived organic material and converting the sugar to the liquid fuel or fuel intermediate in a fuel production facility; and   (ii) using methane to supply energy to the fuel production facility or associated utilities, wherein said methane has associated with it life cycle GHG emissions that are reduced relative to a biomethane production process baseline as a result of carrying out the method of  claim 1 .   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said methane having associated reduced life cycle GHG emissions was provided by a third party. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the methane used to supply energy to the fuel production facility or associated utilities is withdrawn from a natural gas pipeline containing methane from sources other than anaerobic digestion of organic material. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the biogenic carbon dioxide supplied to the one or more enhanced oil or gas recovery sites displaces the use of or demand for geologic carbon dioxide in said one or more enhanced oil or gas recovery sites. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the methane supplies energy in the form of heat or electricity. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein a renewable fuel credit is associated with the liquid fuel or fuel intermediate. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein a renewable fuel credit associated with the liquid fuel or fuel intermediate and wherein the renewable fuel credit is a D5 RIN or a D3 RIN. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the life cycle GHG emissions associated with the liquid fuel or fuel intermediate are reduced to a level of at least 40% relative to a gasoline baseline. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the life cycle GHG emissions associated with the liquid fuel or fuel intermediate are reduced to a level of at least 50% relative to a gasoline baseline. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the sugar is converted to the fuel or fuel intermediate by a fermentation that produces biogenic carbon dioxide and wherein the method further comprises collecting an amount of biogenic carbon dioxide produced from the step of fermenting and supplying the biogenic carbon dioxide that is collected for use in one or more enhanced oil or gas recovery sites for displacement of geological carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the life cycle GHG emissions associated with the methane are reduced by between about 5 g CO 2  eq/MJ and about 35 g CO 2  eq/MJ relative to a biomethane production process baseline as a result of the displacement of geologic carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         18 . A method to reduce the life cycle GHG emissions associated with production of a liquid fuel or fuel intermediate, said method comprising:
 (i) producing sugar from plant derived organic material and converting the sugar to the liquid fuel or fuel intermediate in a fuel production facility; and   (ii) receiving methane to supply energy in any part of the fuel production facility or associated utilities, wherein said methane has associated with it life cycle GHG emissions that are reduced relative to a biomethane production process baseline as a result of producing the methane by a process comprising:
 (a) anaerobically digesting organic material to produce biogas comprising methane and biogenic carbon dioxide; 
 (b) separating the methane and biogenic carbon dioxide; 
 (c) collecting an amount of the biogenic carbon dioxide generated from the step of separating; 
 (d) supplying the biogenic carbon dioxide from step (c) for use in one or more enhanced oil or gas recovery sites for displacement of geologic carbon dioxide; and 
 (e) supplying the biomethane to an apparatus for delivering methane to one or more fuel production facilities. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the life cycle GHG emissions associated with the methane are reduced by between about 5 g CO 2  eq/MJ and about 35 g CO 2  eq/MJ relative to a biomethane production process baseline as a result of the displacement of geologic carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         20 . A method for producing a liquid fuel comprising the steps of blending with gasoline the liquid fuel or fuel intermediate having reduced life cycle GHG emissions according to  claim 18 . 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein a third party carries out steps (a)-(e). 
     
     
         22 . A method comprising
 (i) receiving carbon dioxide at an enhanced oil or gas recovery site, said carbon dioxide being withdrawn from an apparatus into which carbon dioxide produced by  claim 1  is fed; and   (ii) using the received carbon dioxide to displace geologic carbon dioxide at the site.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein a third party supplies the carbon dioxide received at the enhanced oil or gas recovery site. 
     
     
         24 . A method comprising:
 (a) receiving carbon dioxide at an enhanced oil or gas recovery site, said carbon dioxide being withdrawn from an apparatus into which biogenic carbon dioxide derived from an anaerobic digestion has been fed and wherein   the received carbon dioxide has the GHG emission attributes of the biogenic carbon dioxide derived from the anaerobic digestion; and   (b) using the received carbon dioxide to displace geologic carbon dioxide.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising causing a third party to feed the carbon dioxide derived from the anaerobic digestion to said apparatus. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the GHG emission attributes of the withdrawn carbon dioxide are set out in written documentation. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the written documentation comprises data relating to a life cycle GHG analysis, which life cycle GHG emission analysis a GHG emission savings resulting from the displacement of geologic carbon dioxide and wherein the written documentation is in computer readable format.